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Food for Living: Don’t Live a Life of Mediocrity
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings Destiny Friends,
“A life of mediocrity is a waste of life” -Colleen Hoover
We are not created to live small. We are not created to have small dreams. We are not created to have small beliefs or small ideas; we are created to live big. It’s worthy to note that at creation, we were given all we need to survive on earth. You have hands for artistic duties or handiwork; you have legs to play soccer and you have a brain to process information. According to George S. Patton, “Anyone, in any walk of life who, is content with mediocrity is untrue to himself.
You have eyes to see and vision the unimaginable. Every single part of your body has a unique role. So why play low? Henry Ford was right when he said: “Mediocrity is the worst enemy of prosperity.”
You can’t go through life living small. One of the biggest battles we face is contentment. Sometimes, we are too comfortable in our comfort zones. It is worthy of note that we all have seeds and potentials of greatness waiting to be tapped. Kindly permit me to say that a mediocre is blessed with limited thinking; this limited thinking gives him a myopic vision which limits his ability to succeed. Per Maureen Dowd said “The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.
It may be normal to experience disappointments, failures, setbacks, etc. However, each time you feel this way, stand up and stir up your faith to unleash your potential, new dreams, opportunities and talents. Don’t settle for less.
In the race of life, don’t settle for less than you deserve. You deserve more. If you accept mediocrity it can be seen as normal. Don’t let mediocrity be the norm. Don’t be limited by your environment or circumstances. If you live by the standard you see around you, you might just be tempted to accept it as normal. Just imagine putting a whale or shark in an aquarium; it won’t reach its potential, because that’s not where they belong.
It is easy to give in to excuses, but remember that’s one characteristic of a mediocre and mediocrity. You can’t live small, believe small, and expect big things to happen in your life. Too often, we allow circumstances and how we are raised to affect our lives. Some people even blame their parents, guardians, spouses, teachers and even friends for their failure. Yes, to some extent, they may have a role to play, but the buck stops with you. It will only have an effect if you give it life. Your parents laid the foundation for you, they expect you to use it as a stepping stone. Even if they are poor, dare to succeed. Don’t stay in your comfort zone. There are more opportunities available to you if only you can take the step of faith. If you can think big, and pragmatically put your thoughts to action, you will definitely live big
You are endowed with all the skills you need to succeed. Don’t give in to the belief that you don’t have anything to offer the world. To show you a practical example of the power of the mind. If you are drug seller, you have to know how to market your products, that’s marketing, if you can get the word out there, that’s advertising, if you can take care of your customers, that’s customers service, if you know when to sell, that’s a management and decision-making skill. The truth is if you can sell drugs, you can sell stocks and bonds. Moral: Use your skills for productive ventures. It’s worthy to note that Joyce Meyers never went to college but today she’s speaking to professors and leaders all over the world.
It’s easy to believe that you can’t do something because nobody has done it in your family or neighborhood. A story was told about Steve Harvey while he was in middle school, his teacher asked the students to write what they want to be in future, innocent Steve Harvey wrote he wanted to be on TV making people laugh, his teacher called him out and told asked him if anyone in his family has been on the television before, he said no. His teacher told him to write about what is feasible. He cried that fateful and narrated the story to his dad when he got home. His dad told him to put the writings on his bed and advised him to read it every day before going to school and before sleeping. Today, the rest is history, Steven Harvey is making people laugh on television. If you are still wondering if dreams come true, please look at Steve Harvey. Moral: You have to learn to encourage your self, even when people don’t believe in you. And have the right people around you.
A prudent reasonable man wants to live a normal life which can be categorized as an above-average lifestyle. No one wants to live a low standard live which can be referred to as below poverty level. We desire to live a comfortable life. However, in order to live a larger life, it is imperative to think beyond your present predicament as opposed to being comfortable. In the journey of life, you cannot solve a problem with the same level of understanding you met it. You have to step up your game. It’s quite unfortunate that complacency has remained the cardinal reason a lot of people fail to get to the peak of their potential. This is because they feel their circumstances, family background or even their mental state won’t allow them do better, thereby making them feel caged.
Living a life of mediocre is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone. You have a lot to offer the world, therefore, you don’t have to limit yourself to what the world offers to you. You have potential in you; you have seeds of greatness waiting to be tapped; you have talents, gifts, skills and ingenious abilities which are lying fallow and begging to utilized.
We can all live a large life and fulfill our desires in life, but before we can do that we have to cast out fear from our minds and give our best by working hard and smart.
Most average people give up as soon as things get tough and then they complain that they never got what they wanted. Of course, things will get hard! You will cry, be frustrated, afraid, angry, and totally beaten to a pulp, but then you have to get up, shake off the dust and move on.
To avoid mediocrity, be bold and be fearful, and confront the risks head-on. You cannot truly get to the peak of your career without taking risk. Risk has a lot of roles to play in shaping the career or success story of anyone. Risk is a necessary part of success. A rule of thumb: Always weigh the risk factor into every decision but be open to taking risks because if you succeed you climb higher and if you fail, you gain experience by learning something new. It’s better to take a risk and fail than not taking the risk and still fail. Nothing pains the heart later in life when risk option was not explored.
Most mediocres are scared to think big and take action towards it. They do what society or their surroundings expect them to and rarely ever pursue things on their own. Question: If you had only six months left to live; would you do what you are doing now?
How You Can Live Above Mediocrity
Do you have a dream?
Dreams help to propel us to live an extraordinary life. Many people have the dream of becoming a pilot, outstanding politician/leader, professor, TV host, soccer player, etc. If you have big dreams, you’ll definitely want to birth the dream. Birthing the dream entails leaving your comfort zone, having sleepless nights, reading extra books, waking up early, sleeping late, networking with the right group/minds and doing what you have to do to succeed. This is simply how great the mind works. A dream simply sets you above average. Not having a dream means going into mediocrity.
If you have found your dream, the next question is whether or not you have the courage to follow it.
Learn more than anyone else.
Mediocres are normal set of people who just like the status quo. They don’t feel like going the extra mile. Extraordinary people do more than going to school, networking, reading wide, etc. They seek ways to improve themselves. You must seek to learn every single day, become knowledgeable more than the average person by going the extra mile. The question now becomes, are you willing to put the effort? “According to Diana Waring, The difference between mediocrity and excellence is often a matter of effort.”
In conclusion, avoiding mediocrity is a goal that everyone in the world should strive for. According to Dr. Steve Maraboli “Stop letting your fear condemn you to mediocrity.”
I am going to leave you with great words from Brian Cranston: “Don’t settle for mediocrity. Take a chance. Take a risk. Find that passion. Rekindle it. Fall in love all over again. It’s really worth it.”
Thank you!
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright To Success. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a N100 billion suit against the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, over allegations bordering on defamation.
This follows her objections to the re-assignment of her Senate seat after a reshuffle caused by opposition members switching to the majority wing. She resisted the move, leading to a confrontation with the Senate President.
The Kogi lawmaker has been referred to the Senate Disciplinary Committee following the dispute over the seating arrangement.
In a suit filed on 25 February 2025 before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Akpoti-Uduaghan named the Senate President, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Mfon Patrick, the Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President, as the second and third defendants.
In the suit, identified as CV/737/25, Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her lawyer Victor Giwa, claimed defamatory statements were made by the Senate President and shared by his aide on Facebook.
The post, titled “Is the Local Content Committee of the Senate Natasha’s Birthright?” included a statement implying that Akpoti-Uduaghan believed being a lawmaker was merely about “pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers.”
Giwa argued that the statement was defamatory, insulting, and damaging to his client’s reputation in the eyes of her colleagues and the public.
He said, “A DECLARATION that the words, ‘It is bottled anger by the Kogi lawmaker, who knows nothing about legislative rules. She thinks being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the chambers,’ written by the third defendant at the prompting of the first and second defendants, is defamatory and intended to cause public scorn and animosity toward the claimant.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan also sought a court order to prevent the defendants and their associates from making further defamatory statements against her.
She requested, “An ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the defendants, whether acting by themselves or through their agents, privies, assigns, or associates, from further publishing or causing to be published the said defamatory words or any similar publications about the claimant on social media or any other platform capable of defaming her.”
Additionally, she demanded the defendants pay her N100 billion in general damages and N300 million to cover litigation costs.
“An order for the payment of N100,000,000,000 as general damages. An order for the payment of N300,000,000 as the cost of action,” she concluded in her suit.
The former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his appointments into the federal cabinet.
El-Rufai, on Monday, accused Tinubu of favouring his ‘boys’ from Lagos into political offices, and not the Yorubas.
He made the accusation during an interview on Arise TV.
He said: “The president’s appointments are not being made because the appointees are Yoruba, but because they are his own boys. Most of the appointments do not even reasonably cover the South-West.
“So people should stop confusing the truth. The appointments are not balanced. Yes, definitely, definitely, right? You cannot argue that, but it’s not a Yoruba thing.
“Please don’t punish the Yorubas as you have been punishing northerners for the sins of the military.
“Let’s focus on individuals and hold them accountable. President Tinubu needs to do something about that. It’s still not too late. He can correct it, but there is palpable anger in the North.”
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Apart from having the fear of God, one of the greatest desires any individual is a responsible life partner or spouse. In fact, a responsible partner transcends beyond ability to provide as there exists many, who can provide, are still irresponsible. Being responsible is priceless. Being responsible is a currency and goodwill which is not seen among cheap people.
While little girls in high schools are thrilled about the handsomeness of boys, and big ladies in colleges are attracted to the intelligence and financial capacity of guys, mature working ladies are more concerned about the security and loyalty of guys. This set of mature ladies are not concerned about the physical looks and financial capacity of guys. Though money and good looks are important, but they can’t be compared to loyalty and security. This is because a man may not have money, may not look great, and may not even be rich in intelligence, but when a lady sees him as responsible, with prospects, she might take him very seriously, and vice versa.
Asides character, irresponsibility is one thing that detaches a man from a lady. As a matter of fact, when a man senses a lady has been sexually exposed to a lot of men, withdrawal syndrome begins to set in, especially if he’s familiar with such men. Irresponsibility can be attributed to lack of good character or why will a responsible woman be messing around with several men.
One may wonder if this article is about the relationship between a man and a woman. The simple answer is no. The article is about life. I had to begin with human beings to x-ray the importance of living a responsible life. The truth is nobody likes to relate with an irresponsible person whether at work, church, family or events. An irresponsible person will have trust issues, fail in leadership, suffer from accountability issues, and will never be counted as reliable. If negative forces wish to deal with a person, they send an irresponsible people their way, and the individual’s life or work will be completely damaged.
As human beings, we are responsible for our life. It is what we sow that we reap. When we love, we are bound to reap love, when we sow hatred, it has a way of coming back to us. When we sow kindness, kindness will locate us in due time. When we sow hard work, it has a way of paying us back in the near future. When we help the less privileged, we accumulate the grace and mercy of God in the universe. When we invest in people, we tend to open doors, and like a magnet, attracts blessings, favours and opportunities our way.
The question we need to ask ourselves therefore, is what kind of life are we living? According to Socrates, “an unexamined life is not worth living”. Being able to take stock of one’s life is one of the best things that can happen to anyone. Just like a businessman takes inventory of his products, one must be intentional to live a life of purpose. Failure to do so is inviting Karma.
It’s instructive to note that taking responsibility involves a process. It is the foundation one lays that determines the kind of house they live in. For instance, if your tummy aches, what you ate yesterday is the likely the cause; if you are depressed, the culprit is the thought you meditated on the night before; if you are broke, it is usually because you mismanaged your money earlier; if you are overweight, it is because you over-ate in the past. Did you see that actions have consequences and it’s your responsibility to fix yourself with the right thoughts and actions.
The moral of the story is that your reality today is the consequence of your thoughts and actions of yesterday. And your future will reflect your thinking and deeds of today. It’s important to note that no demon is powerful enough to make you reap what you did not sow, neither is any demon more powerful than Karma. If you are in doubt, sow a seed today, and it will show tomorrow.
So, it is important for one to take responsibility for their lives. Nobody will fix you more than you can fix yourself; nobody can help you more than you can help yourself; nobody can save you more than you can save yourself; nobody can inspire you more than you can inspire yourself; and nobody can make you live a responsible life if you are not determined to be responsible.
It’s sad to see people who haven’t taken time to plan their lives, yet expect other people to fix them. Some people don’t invest in themselves by reading, researching, taking a class, course, learning a skill, traveling, investing in their businesses, relationship, network, volunteering in an association, and adding value to their lives. Sometimes, lazy minds lie idle waiting for the Lamb of God, who will take away their sins and burdens. These lazy minds fail to understand that everyone is dealing with a secret frustration.
In conclusion, decide today to take charge of your life, and see how life will unfold positively for you.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
